大乘義章 9.9

9.9

次明修習迴向所為。何故修習菩提迴向？所為有三：一者為去、二者為住、三為增廣善根。言為去者，一切凡夫心性樂有，若不迴向所修善法，堅住三界不得出離。以迴向故，令所修善出離諸有，故修迴向。言為住者，一切有為無常磨滅。若不迴向，所修善根三有受報，受報已滅不得常住。以迴向故，令所修善盡未來際常住不滅。故經中說「如海龍王注一滴雨，欲令此雨經劫不滅。若經平地無由可得，降之大海經劫不盡。迴向如是，求菩提故，令所修善常住不盡。」言增廣者，為有修善局狹不多，為佛修善廣多無量，故修迴向。是義云何？菩提果德廣大無邊，用一善根迴求彼故，於大菩提一一德邊皆有善生。一善迴向增廣既爾，一切善根迴向例然，是故經中宣說迴向以為大利。為是三義，故須修習菩提迴向。何以故修習眾生迴向？所為亦三：一者為去、二者為住、三為增廣善根。言為去者，一切眾生心樂自樂，若不修此眾生迴向，得樂便住，不能隨物在苦攝化。以迴向故，得樂不住，常能隨物化益眾生。言為住者，若不修此眾生迴向，得寂即滅，不肯住世饒益眾生。以迴向故，常在世間饒益眾生。為增廣者，自善狹小、曠益善多，為令諸善隨物廣多，故須修習。是義云何？如修一善，用以迴施一切眾生，眾生無邊，令此一善增廣無邊。一善迴向增廣既爾，一切善根增廣例然。為是三義，是故修習眾生迴向。何故修習實際迴向？所為亦三：一者為去、二者為住、三為增廣善根。言為去者，一切眾生心性取著，若不修此實際迴向，所修善根隨有繫著不能捨離。以迴向故，令所修善捨相出離，故須修習。言為住者，情相之法性自浮危，依之起善磨滅不住，要與理合方得固安。故經說言「以法常故，諸佛亦常。」為令諸善合理常住，故須修習。為增廣者，隨相修善局狹不多，行與理冥方乃廣大，如理無邊。是故菩薩為令所修諸善如理廣大，是故修習。所為如是（此二門竟）。

Next, explaining the purpose of cultivating dedication. Why cultivate dedication toward bodhi? There are three purposes: first, for departing; second, for abiding; third, for expanding wholesome roots. 'For departing' means: ordinary beings by nature delight in existence; if they do not dedicate the wholesome dharmas they cultivate, they will remain firmly bound in the three realms and unable to escape. By virtue of dedication, they cause the wholesome deeds they cultivate to transcend all existences; therefore they cultivate dedication. 'For abiding' means: all conditioned things are impermanent and perish. If one does not dedicate them, the wholesome roots cultivated will yield retribution in the three realms of existence, and having yielded retribution, they perish and cannot abide permanently. By virtue of dedication, one causes the wholesome deeds cultivated to abide permanently without perishing unto the end of the future. Hence a sūtra says: 'Suppose the ocean dragon king pours down a single drop of rain, desiring to make this rain endure through kalpas without perishing. If it falls on level ground, there is no way for this to occur; but if it descends into the great ocean, it will not be exhausted through kalpas. Dedication is like this: because of seeking bodhi, it causes the wholesome deeds cultivated to abide permanently without exhaustion.' 'For expanding' means: wholesome deeds cultivated for [worldly] existence are narrow and few; wholesome deeds cultivated for the Buddha are vast and measureless; therefore one cultivates dedication. What does this mean? The fruitional virtues of bodhi are vast and boundless; by using a single wholesome root to direct toward and seek them, wholesome qualities arise with respect to each and every virtue of great bodhi. Since the dedication of a single wholesome deed expands in this way, the dedication of all wholesome roots is likewise the same. Therefore the sūtras proclaim dedication to be of great benefit. For these three reasons, one must cultivate dedication toward bodhi. Why cultivate dedication toward sentient beings? The purposes are also three: first, for departing; second, for abiding; third, for expanding wholesome roots. 'For departing' means: all sentient beings by nature delight in their own happiness; if one does not cultivate this dedication toward sentient beings, upon obtaining happiness one will abide in it, unable to follow beings into suffering to gather and transform them. By virtue of dedication, one does not abide upon obtaining happiness, and is always able to follow beings to transform and benefit sentient beings. 'For abiding' means: if one does not cultivate this dedication toward sentient beings, upon attaining tranquility one would enter extinction, unwilling to abide in the world to benefit sentient beings. By virtue of dedication, one constantly remains in the world to benefit sentient beings. 'For expanding' means: wholesomeness for oneself is narrow and small, while wholesome deeds of broad benefit are numerous; in order to make all wholesome deeds expand in accordance with beings, one must cultivate it. What does this mean? For instance, when one cultivates a single wholesome deed and dedicates it to bestow upon all sentient beings, since sentient beings are boundless, it causes this single wholesome deed to expand boundlessly. Since the dedication of a single wholesome deed expands in this way, the expansion of all wholesome roots is likewise the same. For these three reasons, one cultivates dedication toward sentient beings. Why cultivate dedication toward ultimate reality? The purposes are also three: first, for departing; second, for abiding; third, for expanding wholesome roots. 'For departing' means: all sentient beings by nature grasp and cling; if one does not cultivate this dedication toward ultimate reality, the wholesome roots cultivated will be attached to existence and unable to be relinquished. By virtue of dedication, one causes the wholesome deeds cultivated to relinquish characteristics and transcend; therefore one must cultivate it. 'For abiding' means: dharmas of conceptual signs are by nature fleeting and precarious; wholesomeness aroused on their basis perishes and does not abide, and only when unified with the principle does it attain firmness and stability. Hence a sūtra says: 'Because the Dharma is permanent, the Buddhas are also permanent.' In order to cause all wholesome deeds to accord with the principle and abide permanently, one must cultivate it. 'For expanding' means: wholesome deeds cultivated according to signs are narrow and few; only when practice merges with the principle does it become vast, boundless like the principle. Therefore, in order to make all the wholesome deeds cultivated vast in accordance with the principle, the bodhisattva cultivates it. The purposes are such as these. (This concludes the second section.)